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How often does Gov. John Kasich grant clemency to criminals? We break down the numbers

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Gov. John Kasich has been far less likely to grant clemency than his predecessor, Ted Strickland, but he's also spared the lives of more death-row inmates than any other governor of a death-penalty state.
(Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio—As governor, John Kasich has been much more sparing than his predecessor in granting clemencies to criminals, approving less than 5 percent of requests and releasing no one from prison, records show.

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Kasich's 'redemption streak': The governor has pardoned or commuted the sentences of 54 people since taking office. What kind of people receive clemency, and why do they get it?

Stricter than Strickland: Kasich's 4.7 percent clemency approval rate is comparable to that of other recent Republican Ohio governors, but it's about five times lower than that of his immediate predecessor, Democrat Ted Strickland.

During his 3 ½ years in office, Kasich has pardoned or commuted the sentence of 54 people, the majority of whom were convicted of low-level crimes such as theft or drugs, according to administration records. He also temporarily postponed the executions of five death-row inmates.

Kasich, however, has rejected 1,184 clemency requests through June of 2014, including 86 cases in which the Ohio Parole Record recommended leniency, according to state data. Twelve people have been executed under his watch.

None of the clemencies granted by Kasich have resulted in an inmate being immediately freed, according to gubernatorial spokesman Rob Nichols.

Kasich declined to be interviewed for this story. Nichols said the governor, in considering whether to grant a clemency, weighs the interests of the applicant, those affected by the criminals' actions, and the general public.

In most cases, Kasich granted pardons to people who already served their sentences -- a move that allows them to seek better housing and jobs. Nichols said the governor wants to give people a chance to become successful members of society.

“There’s a redemption streak in him,” Nichols said.

Mike Brickner, senior policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, said he would like to see Kasich grant even more clemencies, so people who have paid their debt can move on with their lives and avoid committing more crimes in the future.

What's the difference between a pardon, a commutation, and a reprieve?

A pardon frees a person from all further punishment for a crime, though he or she is still considered guilty of the offense.

A commutation reduces a sentence to a lesser punishment.

A reprieve temporarily postpones a punishment from being carried out.

Source: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Stricter than Strickland

Kasich’s 4.7-percent clemency approval rate is in line with previous Republican governors. Between 1999 and 2007, Bob Taft granted 77 clemency requests, or 5.7 percent of the 1,355 requests he received.

Before him, George Voinovich, another Republican, granted 128 clemencies, about 2.8 percent of the applications sent to him during his two terms in office.

However, Kasich’s immediate predecessor, Democrat Ted Strickland, granted about 20 percent of the requests he received, according to the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and media reports. There’s some dispute about exactly how many clemencies Strickland granted: the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections says 295, while the Columbus Dispatch claims 319.

*According to Department of Rehabilitation and Correction statistics. The number of clemencies denied is approximate. The Columbus Dispatch has reported Strickland granted 319 clemencies out of 1,615 requests.

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